Network Watcher Agent Update - Document Details

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This page is part of the Azure documentation. It contains code examples and configuration instructions for working with Azure services.

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Bias Analysis

Detected Bias Types

powershell_heavy

windows_first

missing_linux_example

Summary

The documentation demonstrates a Windows bias in several ways: (1) The only provided script for bulk updating extensions across multiple VMs is a PowerShell script, which is inherently Windows-centric and requires Azure PowerShell modules. (2) The 'Update your extension using a PowerShell script' section exclusively targets Windows VMs, with no equivalent Bash or Azure CLI script for Linux VMs. (3) In several sections, PowerShell is presented as the primary or first method, with Linux/Azure CLI alternatives appearing later or not at all. (4) There is no example of a Bash or shell script for bulk updating Linux VMs, and no mention of automation approaches for Linux outside of Azure CLI one-liners.

Recommendations

Provide a Bash or Azure CLI script example for bulk updating the Network Watcher extension across multiple Linux VMs, similar to the PowerShell script for Windows.
Ensure that automation examples for both Windows and Linux are given equal prominence and detail, ideally in parallel sections or tabs.
When listing manual update options, present Azure CLI and PowerShell examples side-by-side, or alternate which is shown first.
Explicitly mention cross-platform automation options (such as using Azure CLI in Bash or Python scripts) for managing both Windows and Linux VMs at scale.
Review the order of examples and ensure Linux and Windows are treated equally throughout the documentation.

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Scan History

Date	Scan	Status	Result
2026-01-14 00:00	#250	in_progress	Biased
2026-01-13 00:00	#246	completed	Biased
2026-01-11 00:00	#240	completed	Biased
2026-01-10 00:00	#237	completed	Biased
2026-01-09 00:34	#234	completed	Biased
2026-01-08 00:53	#231	completed	Biased
2026-01-06 18:15	#225	cancelled	Clean
2025-08-17 00:01	#83	cancelled	Clean
2025-07-13 21:37	#48	completed	Clean
2025-07-12 23:44	#41	cancelled	Biased
2025-07-09 13:09	#3	cancelled	Clean
2025-07-08 04:23	#2	cancelled	Biased

Flagged Code Snippets

Locate the Azure Network Watcher extension in the output and identify the version number from the *“TypeHandlerVersion”* field in the output.   

You should see something like the below:
![PowerShell Screenshot](./media/network-watcher-agent-update/powershell-screenshot.png)

### Update your extension

If your version is below the latest version mentioned above, update your extension by using any of the following options.

#### Option 1: Use PowerShell

Run the following commands:

# [Windows](#tab/windows)

---

## Update your extension using a PowerShell script

If you have large deployments, use a PowerShell script to update multiple VMs at once. The following PowerShell script updates Network Watcher extension of all Windows VMs in a subscription:

Locate **"AzureNetworkWatcherExtension"** in the output and identify the version number from the *“TypeHandlerVersion”* field in the output.  

Information about the extension appears multiple times in the JSON output. The full version number of the extension is available under the Extensions block. 

You should see something like the below:
![Azure CLI Screenshot](./media/network-watcher-agent-update/azure-cli-screenshot.png)

#### Use PowerShell

Run the following commands from a PowerShell prompt: